Silvia Venturini Fendi celebrates 100 years and five generations of Fendi, founded in Rome by her grandparents, Edoardo and Adele Fendi, in 1925. Reflecting on the brand, she says, “FENDI reminds me of the future,” as the Fendi Women’s and Men’s Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Fashion Show kicks off this centenary year. “I didn’t focus on physical archives; for me, Fendi 100 is about my personal memories – real or imagined – of what Fendi was and what it means today.”
The new Spazio Fendi in Milan captures the essence of the historic Fendi boutique and atelier on Via Borgognona in Rome, where the five Fendi sisters – Alda, Anna, Carla, Franca, and Paola – worked and played. Through its wood-paneled doors, the space once welcomed clients of haute couture by day and the glamorous jetset of Cinecittà by night. Secrets and stories were shared across generations, shaping the sense of glamour that Fendi is known for today.
Originally known for fine stoles and handbags, Fendi’s legacy is reimagined by Silvia Venturini Fendi, reflecting on the brand’s century-long history. The collection showcases Fendi’s unique style, where irony and humor blend with elegance, and sensuality meets Roman discipline. The Women’s and Men’s collections intertwine traditional craftsmanship with bold, subversive takes on Italian sophistication.
The collection begins with striking silhouettes and textured designs that play with the eye. A flared coat is styled as a dress, with a high collar and waist cinched by a gold belt. Traditional fur techniques, like intarsia, honeycomb, and Gheronato patchwork, are used on shearlings that mimic fox, mink, and sable, but are not real furs. The hourglass shape, symbolizing infinity, is seen in satin skirts, flounced jackets, and rounded sleeves.
Marbled plissé and ribbed knit dresses feature curled lettuce hems, while leather patchwork skirts flare in A-line shapes. Raw-cut menswear coats create dramatic looks with hidden details. The color palette mirrors the shades of Rome at dusk, from greens and blues to fiery reds, yellows, and pinks, inspired by the city’s sunsets.
Celebrating 100 years of style, Fendi’s tailoring reaches its peak with bracelet-sleeve blazers and stovepipe flares, while boiled wool coats are reimagined with satin revers. Trench coats, a nod to Italian power dressing, are oversized in lambskin or feature scarf collars in pleated taffeta. Men’s cabans come in soft shades of compact wool.
Both men and women wear the Fendi shearling stole as a collar over jewel-toned cardigans, lingerie dresses, or georgette blouses, combining the elegance of a greatcoat with the comfort of a shawl. The brand’s leather craftsmanship shines in reversible deerskin and suede Selleria coats, and bold Op-Art coats made of plush geometric intarsias.
The charm of Roman evenings is captured in the mix of matte and shine, with satin skirts quilted in waves, duchesse fabric draped as bishop sleeves, and mirror and crystal embroideries on checked bouclé. Chantilly lace plays with masculine and feminine styles, embellishing cashmere twinsets and pinstripe shirts. A fringe of tulle and fingernail sequins frames evening looks, creating a millefoglie of FENDI craftsmanship: always opulent, yet light as air.
The Fendi Fall/Winter 2025-26 Accessories collection is a vibrant mix of colors and luxury, blending House classics with a retro-futuristic style. The new FENDI Giano is a moon-shaped purse that transforms from a clutch to a shoulder bag, made from two-tone calfskin with the Fendi squirrel emblem and Janus’ portrait. The iconic Fendi Spy Bag, first launched in 2005, returns with a deconstructed design and a twisted handle in pastel shearling. It joins the Peekaboo and Baguette as a timeless House favorite. Shearling intarsia, disco sequins, and fluted suede techniques reinvent the Mamma Baguette and Peekaboo Soft, while a stunning Baguette in leopard watersnake or mirrored embroidery takes center stage.
For men, the new Fendi Lui soft duffel and a supple hobo bag in Cuoio Romano with metal FF hardware are introduced. Fendi Maxi Charm characters made from upcycled fabrics highlight the brand’s focus on craftsmanship and sustainability.
Footwear features trompe l’oeil boots and peep-toe slippers in satin and eel, with slim wedges or hooked heels finished with polished metal. Men’s desert boots come in soft lambskin and wild shearling.
Designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi, the Fendi Fall/Winter 2025-26 Jewellery collection sparkles with fur-like textures, including snake chain collars, en tremblant bracelets, chandelier ‘fountain’ earrings, sterling silver obelisk pendants, and FF ball chain necklaces for men. (MARY SY)